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"The Space Explorers material is a creative and innovative way of presenting space-related material while using computer technology... I look forward to utilizing this wonderful program in my classroom again this year. Now it's one of those 'must-haves' for implementing science at John Burroughs Elementary." - Teacher Melvina Jones
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K-3 Space® allows students to explore the solar system without leaving their classroom. This program uses a combination of hands-on multidisciplinary activities and interactive animations to teach students basic space concepts. The K-3 Space website contains a set of flash animations for each of the four grade levels. In each animation, students observe natural events and have the opportunity to answer questions about what they have observed. The animations can be used individually by students or as a demonstration in the classroom. K-3 Space is an excellent introduction to the excitement and wonder of our solar system.
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In the Kindergarten track, students are introduced to the Sun, planets, and astronauts. Students make models of the nine planets and their order while singing along to a song about the planets. Some of the other activities include making a moon rock, making astronaut food, creating an astronaut’s helmet, and making a solar system poster. Throughout this unit there are also a number of songs and activities available to get students out of their seats while learning the order of the solar system.
This grade level focuses on the motion of the Earth and its effects. Students learn about the Sun, day and night, seasons, and constellations. They can create a number of items, including day and night charts, sun bracelets, constellations, and a day and night spinner. All the activities in first grade teach students the scale of our solar system and what happens on Earth because our planet rotates and revolves. The first grade track also contains songs and poems to help reinforce the concepts for the students.
In second grade students learn about the Moon. The lessons in this grade level cover topics such as the Moon’s gravity, the distance to the Moon, the phases of the Moon, and missions that have been taken to our Moon. There are a number of activities in this section to show students the cause of the Moon’s phases and what we have learned about the Moon through exploration. One fun activity for students is the lunar long jump competition, in which students determine how far they could jump on the Moon versus the Earth with less gravity. Activities like these and others await your students in the second grade module.
The third grade module examines the solar system in more depth as students compare the inner and outer planets. Students learn about the properties of Earth and how they relate to Mercury, Venus, and Mars. They then compare these planets to the gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. This allows students to begin practicing the science process skills they will use in future grade levels. Students perform a number of hands-on activities and are even given the opportunity to write postcards from another planet. All this and more can help your third grade students learn about the solar system.
K-3 Space applets were designed to aid young learners in understanding introductory concepts. These are broken down by grade level, but can be used by students of all ages to aid in visualizing and understanding key concepts relating to astronomy, seasons, gravity, revolution, the planets, and the solar system.
To complement the lesson plans and activities, K-3 Space also includes a number of additional resources to help reinforce the concepts within K-3 Space. This includes pictures, video clips, and supplementary information for the students.
